


And the world keeps falling...

by CorvinaFarrin



Series: 'What if' dsmp shorts [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Conversations, Craters, Dying frienship, Evil Plans, Final tag, Haha no its not, Niki is hurt, Nukes, Oop here's another tag, Puffy is pog, Puffy wants to help, Rainy Days, Revenge, Violence is overrated, angry and sad, another tag, diaries, promise rings, villian niki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvinaFarrin/pseuds/CorvinaFarrin
Summary: Niki thirsts for blood and Puffy is sick of violence. They talk over their differences
Series: 'What if' dsmp shorts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2181084
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	And the world keeps falling...

**Author's Note:**

> A story in which Puffy witnesses the nuke test.
> 
> Based off the recent event where Niki tried to kill Tommy with the nuclear explosion test that Jack and Tubbo had set up. Puffy realizes Niki and Jack's plans and tries to talk her out of it but it clearly doesn't end well

At times it was difficult to believe some of the things people were capable of doing. 

It started with people recalling previous events. It was in bits and pieces but still surprising. Once she had caught a conversation between Tommy and Tubbo when she was strolling by their bench.

"-Wilbur blew up L'manburg-" 

The other was when she was on guard of Eret's throne. She was a newly appointed knight- a freshly forged weapon straight from the fire. She wasn't sure what had happened that day but she knew it required her to be more alert. Apparently, the hour's events had grown to a peculiar situation in which Sapnap, Quackity and Karl approached Eret above a hidden bomb. A life was lost that evening but it thankfully wasn't her King's. The sun rested, allowing his eyelids to flutter to a close that night but his lips mouthed barely audible words, making Puffy question a few things.

"Dream should-dream shouldn't have dethroned George..."

A lot of things were kept secret, and she either overheard people whispering to each other or was told by someone. It was usually Fundy, but he too was reserved. 

Until of course, they were all stood over the ruins of the community house.  
Until she witnessed an argument between two best friends.  
Until Ranboo shouted to the crowd of people whose secrets were overflowing through their looks toward him.

And now this.

The rock crevice she was hidden in wasn't nearly as big as the crater Tubbo and Jack just made. She fought the urge to cough and instead lifted her collar to her nose. While doing so, two other figures joined the scenario. _More people?_ Already dumbstruck by the blast, she turned her back to them and crouched further back into her corner. 

This was one of those moments that left her shocked at what people were capable of doing. A few withers were the start, and compared to this-

She peeked over at the massive hole in the earth. 

A few stacks of tnt were just the beginning. 

Voices bounced off the wound in the land. A few screeches of laughter that Puffy recognised as Tommy's and a loud, hasty promise. She could almost hear her friend's fingers crossed behind their back as she repeated the same thing.

"I swear Tommy I didn't know!"

_Niki_

"Yeah, Tubbo she couldn't have known. The only people that knew about this were you and me, there's no way she could have found out."

_Jack_

Why, she thought, do I always eavesdrop on the worst situations. 

***

On any other day, Puffy would be determined to follow them. To check her facts and find out for sure that it was Tubbo who created the nuke.

She absently opened the chest of spruce wood for the third time. 

But the blast had been too much. Her thoughts were running wild and a headache had grown worse over two days. The itchy feeling returned to her throat and she coughed repeatedly before turning her head to spit to the side. A red blotch launched itself toward the grass, burying itself in the dirt.

_Oh_

She swiped at her mouth, red lightly smearing the back of her hand. 

Why would Tubbo create such a weapon? He was a kid, sure and she supported this idea for months but if he could produce this much power for himself without anyone knowing... And Niki and Jack had been suspicious. They left Tubbo and Tommy to gaze at their destruction whilst whispering to each other and before Puffy had hopped into her boat to leave, a detached phrase caught her. _kill Tommy_

"Puffy?"

She stumbled over the unfinished foundation of her therapy room, eyes locking with Niki's before her back hit the ground.

"Ow"

The headache spread to the back of her head. She groaned, raising her stare to the person that caught her by surprise.

Niki stood gnawing at the bottom of her lip but didn't extend a hand to help. She apologised weakly instead and shoved her hands into her pockets. The kind of gesture a person would make when they're hiding something. 

"Niki, hi!" Puffy ignored the cough that threatened her enthusiasm.

"Hi, Puffy. Sorry about that-"

"No no. No biggie I just slipped in this lil-, you know how it is these days? First the hole in l'manburg then the path and now..." she swallowed her remaining words, eyes drifting across Niki's coat instead. The entire thing was worn and brown, gathered near her elbows. She never expected something this-well, rag-looking would ever reach Niki's back.

She stopped at the burnt edges of the coat, realizing immediately that it wasn't just a dirty jacket.

"Is that Wilbur's?"

Niki shifted uncomfortably and she could see her hands ball into fists in her pockets.

"So how are you?" she asked sweetly but it didn't deter Puffy.

"I could ask the same" Puffy replied hesitantly. Her glance shifted to Niki's eyes, which were surprisingly more blue than the last time she saw her. Actually, it was more blue than ever and it couldn't possibly be the sunlight because the colour was deep and...spine chilling. Certainly not the colour she saw when they used to have their picnics together or when they would take occasional breaks from building their flower shop. She would have noticed sooner or if they had been hanging out like they used to she would have seen the change...

"Where have you been recently?"

The answer was already known to the both of them but one of them seemingly had the potential to lie. And Puffy knew who. 

"Oh, the usual. Helping Tommy collect wood and Tubbo with supplied for Snowchester." she sang, lifting her hands to count the things on her fingers.

"Blowing up things" Puffy hummed with. "People. Or at least trying to"

Niki laughed, the smile not reaching her eyes. "Why would you think that?"

"Where have you been, Niki?" And this time the question was more personal. The blank look on her face meant she knew. But the response never came.

"I don't see you anymore. I don't hear from you. You pass by but you barely ever looking in my direction and you're constantly busy. With what? Jack? I've seen you with him, hushed in creepy looking places like you're plotting something. And look at you!" she reached out to twirl a lock of Niki's newly dyed hair. It wasn't the colour that was the problem, no, it was vibrant and totally something Puffy would die for but the condition of it was concerning. There was as much dirt on it as her face and, was that a twig?

Niki grabbed her wrist and they stood in an awkward position before she roughly threw it aside. Puffy's eyes widened.  
That..that wasn't like her.

A snarl coated Niki's lips before she broke into an outburst.

"I've been busy Puffy. Busy with my own things for once, rather than following a side or a nation. Without the burden of other people's opinions or thoughts, I'm for the first time in my life doing what I want. And so what if it's to blow up things? It's become a normal part of life, hasn't it? To build something and watch it burn. To love and lose." She tore her hands through her filthy hair. "I'm done losing. I'm done listening. I'm going to be my own person and blow up or stab my problems in the back if I want and if that means Tommy dies, he will!"

She stood, chest heaving, released off whatever she would have talked about peacefully a few weeks ago. 

"You...you want to kill Tommy?"

Niki's breathing faltered and she swallowed, realising her mistake.

"Niki" she tried calmly, "he's just a child"

"OH MY FUC- If I hear ONE more person-"

"Well he IS" and unknowingly, it became a competition of 'who could shout the loudest to be heard'

"I don't know why you're against him Niki. He suffered enough."

"No, he hasn't"

"Then that doesn't mean you KILL him."

"I'll do what it takes."

"No. You're doing what _you_ feel is right. What you think is the best for yourself. Is that not selfish?"

"I've never benefited once in all of this Puffy." she started, her voice growing with every sentence. "When L'manburg fought for the first time I got a few scars and 'freedom'. When they fought the second time I payed taxes to a tyrant until I had nothing. When they fought the last time I lost my home, I had already lost my family and the TRUST OF EVERYONE. It started with Tommy and it will fucking end with him." She shoved her hand violently into her pockets with finality. "I will make sure he pays with his life."

The words stung. 

Every line was true but at the same time, wrong. Niki was mature and Tommy was not. She was better than this and even now, standing as a bloodthirsty woman, she should know better. Puffy lowered her voice. Shouting was not her way and she would never make it.

"I can't say I understand because I don't. I can't say I understand Tommy either but the past is done and I can only put myself in his shoes and imagine. Imagine what it was like at 15, building walls with your brother to have them broken by the other. To break a few blocks of a mushroom house and be exiled. To meet death in the eye and then have your father kill your family and disappear. To fight for something you treasure and for something that holds more memories than a ghost. To have your best friend nearly killed, and to finally, at the age of 16, rest. After loss and bloodshed, to be happy."

Puffy reached out again, this time for her hand. A ring, with a diamond gently embedded in its centre, glistened on one of Niki's fingers. A sad smile crossed her lips. Their promise ring.

"He kept the only promises he had. He made hope when there was none. He fought for a year and only asks for peace." She glided her thumb over the jewel. "You did the same Niki. You fought beside them and I think its time you take a break too." 

A silence followed. She was thinking, and it was probably right for Puffy to leave her be but if now was the time to be honest, she wouldn't waste it.

"In truth, I don't know what happened the first time you went into battle. I was there to witness parts of the _second_ war and your final one was admittedly bloody but in all the stories I've heard and read, you were a good person. You were the _only_ good person."

The atmosphere was already heavy with regret. Guilt for screaming at each other. Hatred for the other's opinions but Puffy wouldn't leave it like this. They were friends and despite their disagreements, they promised to be good to each other. Always. 

So she tried to lighten the mood, stepping back to allow Niki to leave if she pleased. She remained grounded instead, allowing Puffy to speak.

"I don't know much about chess, but" She scratched the back of her head. 

"Dream once said we were all pawns in his little chess game, and whether everyone liked it or not, we were part of it. Including you."

Puffy's eyes were locked to the ground. She didn't notice the clenching and unclenching of Niki's jaw as the truth filled the silence between them.

"I've thought about it for a while. About how some of us as pieces were trying to win the game from our side but at times, we were taken out. Except for one."

She raised her head to get a look at what her friend had become. "You were the pawn that came so close to being traded for a Queen, Niki"

"Don't leave the game now" she practically begged.

Her friend nodded gently, a single tear creating a path of sadness across her cheek. Puffy wanted to hug her. Hold her and tell her it would be okay like she did with Tubbo when they came to rescue him, or like she assured Tommy when he was being reckless again. She wanted to cradle her and whisper that the future would be better than the past and that history won't repeat itself.  
That they can be happy again like they were when they were inseparable. 

"Puffy" Niki's voice was hoarse, probably from the shouting.

"I'm here."

Niki's fingers dug into her palms as she decided her next words. 

"What's on your mind?" Puffy said softly.

"Will you help me kill Tommy?"

Puffy bit her tongue.  
Why did Niki do this to herself? Her hands are innocent and not yet covered in blood. She was the last person on the server that wouldn't dare take revenge on anyone. Forgiveness was her most valued traits and now...

It was true then. What she had heard. Everything she had seen. It fitted together like a key in a lock. 

Niki wouldn't change her mind for the world.

"I'm sorry Niki, but I'm afraid their under my _protection_. I won't be killing them any time soon."

Niki nodded, a little more fervently than before. It didn't comfort Puffy. In fact, it didn't make her feel like Niki understood at all. Thunder sounded above the both of them and a raincloud covered the sun. Their shadows were cast across the ground, along with a few drops from the sky.

Niki's lip trembled and suddenly she was pulling the ring off her finger. The promise ring was thrown and landed by her feet, the diamond losing its shine in the dirt. 

"Then don't talk to me about happiness because you don't care for mine. And you don't care for me." 

***

_I watched her walk away the same way Wilbur did when Dream handed him explosives._

_She stalked away in his coat too, not a care in the world for the rain that would probably drench it._

_I saw his gaze in hers, like the world could be hers if she made it. Like she had a dagger hidden away to carve at people until they did the things she wanted._

_She isn't looking after herself. She's driving herself mad, plotting revenge against children as if they know what they're doing. They're children. They're finally living the childhood they lost when they were kids._

_This is the place I live in. Adults blaming others for their misfortune and children fighting wars alone because others won't help._

_I hate that I can't do anything. Talking doesn't help and surprisedly, neither does shouting. Gifting others doesn't gain trust, and now even Bad is gone crazy._

_Niki was...is a true friend and was the last hope for any return from this chaos. I hate to see her let go of herself. I don't know if she could ever return..._

_I can't be influenced by any of this. I need to remember my morals. I need to save my friends._

_-Captain's Log_

_P.S. Sam is getting worse. I need to keep an eye on him._

**Author's Note:**

> I would always have these kind of ideas but never write them down so this is the first, I guess. Hopefully there will be more short stories ahead that I'll take the time to type out (instead of doing my school assignments of course) BUT HEY, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED! <3


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